“Thanks in great part to the newcomers we have welcomed throughout our history, Canada has developed into the strong and vibrant country we all enjoy,” Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), told CNN.

This initiative will help countering Canada’s aging population and declining birth rate while growing its labour force, said Hussen, who is also an immigrant from Somalia.

Canada’s friendly stance towards new residents comes at a time when Western nations in general, including the United States, are adopting more restrictive immigration policies.

Canada especially tries to offer protection to refugees. The United Nations Refugee Agency reported unprecedented levels of refugees in 2017, with the number of forcibly displaced people reaching 68.5 million, CNN reports.